The Dallas Cowboys’ 2013 preseason is complete, and I for one could not be happier about it. Of course it is necessary to play these games to prepare for the regular season and determine which players will make the final 53 man roster.
However, it is an undeniable fact that these preseason games are not exactly exciting, which is why I can’t wait for September 8, when the Cowboys will face the New York Giants to kick off the season. Before talking about that, a preseason review is in order.
Injuries seemed to plague Dallas’ offensive and defensive linemen throughout training camp and the past couple of weeks. The good news is that most of the injuries have been fairly minor with the exception of defensive end Tyrone Crawford who suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the entire season.
Thankfully, players stepped up along the line to fill in the void created by injuries. Ronald Leary earned the starting job at left guard, and Jason Hatcher and Nick Hayden have both stepped up their game at defensive tackle in the absence of Jay Ratliff.
Dallas’ draft class has performed relatively well with players like Devonte Holloman, Joseph Randle and Travis Frederick shining on multiple occasions. Although injury limited Terrance Williams’ game time this preseason, he was impressive enough in practice and training camp to earn the third wide receiver spot on the team.
Watching Dallas create turnovers on defense was one of the highlights of this preseason. The Dallas coaching staff has made forcing turnovers a huge point of emphasis this season and throughout the five preseason games, the defense has responded.
In summation, it was a very typical preseason. Some good things and a lot of bad things. Now Dallas must look to build on the good things and fix all the bad things in order to be ready week one versus the division rival New York Giants.
